Vigo County Receives $180,000 Grant
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has awarded the Vigo County Commissioners an $180,000 Industrial Development Grant (IDGF).

The grant funds go to have the James Adams Road extended 600-feet south and construct a 15-inch sanitary sewer main (1,500-feet long) to the existing line following James Adams Road in the Vigo County Industrial Park.

The infrastructure project will immediately support Aisin Brake & Chassis 200,000 square-foot expansion and Garmong & Son’s manufacturing-specific speculative building currently under construction in the Vigo County Industrial Park.

The total project cost is $392,652 dollars. Additional funds will be received from the Sanitary District of Vigo County and City of Terre Haute. The obvious benefits of these projects along with the positive impact for tenants at the Vigo County Industrial Park represent a terrific return on what is a relatively a modest investment.

IDGF funds are awarded to eligible units of government to help them meet the infrastructure needs of a new or expanding business. Eligible Activities include water lines, sewer lines, drainage facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, road improvements, rail spurs and fiber optic cable.

Railroad Essential for Economic Growth
In the global marketplace, an efficient freight system is essential for enhancing a community’s economic competitiveness. As part of the lore of history of the American economy, railroad transportation remains an important link in Terre Haute/Vigo County’s economy.

In recent month’s, installation of two new rail crossings on Harlan Road was completed, and rail in and around the Vigo County Industrial Park was upgraded and replaced. Contractor for the rail project, All Track, Inc., exchanged old 90 lb rail to a heavier 112 lb rail along a 4,000-foot stretch. Companies such as CSN, LLC; Futurex, Pfizer, Danisco and future Vigo County Industrial Park rail tenants will benefit from this CSX rail upgrade.

Funding for the project came though Vigo County EDIT proceeds at a cost of $400,000 dollars.

Chicago Call Trip
In mid-October, members of Cinergy/PSI, Rick Burger and Gary Shelley, along with Bill Dory, Greencastle/Putnam Economic Development Center and Steve Witt, Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation traveled to Chicago to meet with a variety of site consultants.

Committed to fostering a business friendly environment, Burger, Shelley, Dory and Witt provided brief overviews of the economic climate within their perspective communities and why their location is ideal for so many businesses from high tech to niche manufacturing to business services of all kind.

Consultants and Organizations they met with include: Pricewaterhouse Coopers, LLP; KPMG, LLP; Austrian Trade Commission; Trammell Crow Company; Japan External Trade Organization; Szatan & Associates; CB Richard Ellis; German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc.; Consulate General of Switzerland; and Jones Lang LaSalle.

Pictured-L-R: Rick Burger, Cinergy/PSI; Gary Shelley, Cinergy/PSI; Taka Tsuchiya, Chief Executive Director-Japan External Organization (JETRO); Steve Witt, Terre Haute Economic Development Corporation; and Bill Dory, Greencastle/Putnam County Development Center.